Fetal Development
Fetal Development: Your Baby's Journey From Conception to Birth.
Sperm Meets Egg: Weeks 1 to 3 of Pregnancy|
descriptionSomething magical is about to happen! Watch as the ovulation process occurs, and then millions of sperm swim upstream on a quest to fertilize an egg.
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An Embryo Forms: Weeks 4 to 8 of PregnancyChances are you have no idea you're pregnant yet—but your body is already hard at work. Watch as the egg undergoes its wondrous transformation to embryo.
pregnancy, your little one has tripled in size and is protected by amniotic fluid . The baby is grown by leaps and bounds, but still only about the size of a lentil. You've just been to the -
Embryo to Fetus: Weeks 9 to 12 of PregnancyYou're well into your first trimester at this point, and your baby is growing bigger and bigger each day. Watch what it takes for her to become a fetus.
per minute. His liver, instead of the yolk sac is now producing blood cells . His kidneys are producing urine and releasing it into the amniotic fluid . The skin consists of many layers and isn't transparent anymore. Male babies start producing the sex hormone testosterone . By the end of 10 weeks, your baby has more than 90% of the anatomic structures present in adults. You baby ishair covers most of his body. There are about 3 tablespoons of amniotic fluid surrounding the fetus and he may began to swallow small amounts of it. -
Second Trimester Begins: Weeks 13 to 17 of PregnancyHere's to hoping you're no longer feeling nauseated or exhausted! Right now your baby's brain and eyes are making dramatic strides each day. Learn all about it.
vernix is covering her skin and protecting her while she sits in amniotic fluid for 9 months. Imagine how wrinkly and irritated you skin would be if you sat in a warm bath all day. Your baby has reached the size of a beanie baby this week. Until this point, he's been all skin, bones and hair as fats starts to accumulate on his body. The fine -
Feeling Baby Move: Weeks 18 to 21 of PregnancyYou'll start feel your baby's fluttering movements (called quickening) between now and 22 weeks. Get ready, mama: Feeling him kick is one of the most magical parts of being pregnant.
longer than her arms. She'll start giving you a low jabs at regular intervals which you might be able to feel especially if this is your second or third pregnancy. If you're a first time Mom, -
Boy or Girl: How Genetics Determine Your Baby's GenderThe process by which your baby becomes a boy or a girl, according to what's written in his or her genetic code, is awe-inspiring. Watch it all unfold.
the 2 sexes just by looking. What's at work here? Male and female hormones caused the embryonic gonad and 2 sets of ducts to form male or female structures. The process begins at week 7. If -
Developing Senses: Weeks 22 to 25 of PregnancyYour baby's ability to see, hear, smell, taste, and feel are developing stronger each day. Learn which of her senses are already working.
gurgling until now your baby's nostrils have been plugged to keep the amniotic fluid out of her nose. Her nostrils are opening now for practice breathing. She will go through the same motions of real breathing but inhale amniotic fluid instead of air. This process helps the development of her lungs and the muscles she needs to breath. Your baby is also busy practicing sucking her thumb. She is developing a firm grasp and may reach out and grab the umbilical cord . She can stick out her tongue and may even lick the umbilical cord while she has it in her hand. -
Sleep Cycles: Weeks 26 to 30 of PregnancyAt this point, your baby is awake and asleep at very specific times of the day. Find out about his sleep patterns, and what they mean.
At 28 weeks, your baby is the size of a head of iceberg lettuce . He is beginning to open his eyes and blink. His skin is still wrinkly but his fact accumulates, he will fill out. He is inhaling and exhaling amniotic fluid as he continues to practice breathing. Your baby weighs roughly 3 pounds and is the size of an eggplant by week 30. -
Growing Big: Weeks 31 to 34 of PregnancyYour baby now weighs about three pounds, roughly the size of a melon. Get the scoop on how much more she'll grow before she's born--and what new developments she's making right now.
protect her from infections once she's out of the womb. Because her taste buds are developed, she may acquire a preference for the foods you eat which she samples when she swallows amniotic fluid . Lanugo, the fine hair the covered her entire body and help to keep her warm as she developed is starting to disappear but there might still be patches of it on her shoulders and back. If the baby is a boy, his testicles will migrate from his abdomen into a scrotum during week 34. He is busy making and excreting 16 ounces of urine into the amniotic fluid each day. Your baby's bones are fully developed by now but they're still soft which will allow her to exit the birth canal more easily. She's also turning her head [unk] and moving her body from side to side. -
Your Baby Is Almost Here: Week 35 of Pregnancy to BirthAt long last, you're about to meet your son or daughter! Watch the miraculous journey your baby will go through as he (or she) exits your uterus and enters the world.
is busy opening or dilating so that she can past through the birth canal . She's been cramped in your uterus for the last couple of months, but that's nothing compared to the tight squeeze ahead. Once you start having contractions and going to labor, the walls around her will tighten and your cervix will dilate around her head. The bones in her skull aren't fuse together yet so they can move and make her passage out a little easier. The warm comforting amniotic fluid bath that had surrounded her for the last 9 months will slowly leak out once your water breaks. With every contraction her head is forced against your cervix. After her head passes your cervix and enters your birth canal , she begins to make twisting movements to help her navigate through your vaginal canal. She starts out facing left or right but most eventually turn face down or sometimes face up as she moves toward the vaginal opening. Your last push expels her from your birth canal . She'll be attached to you until your doctor or partner cuts the umbilical cord as she takes her first breath of air. She might start to cry. Congratulations Mom, it's time to finally meet your baby.